Indeed, Caitlin Clark has been a sensation this season. But her incredible rise hasn’t come without some major chatter. Fans and media alike have been pushing this idea that CC is getting special “welcome-to-the-WNBA” treatment, and not in a good way. And the basketball world is divided on that take. Now, Jonquel Jones has explained it all from the players’ point of view.

The Finals MVP shared, “I think it was awkward for me like or kind of like, you would go on social media and you would just see like people pushing narratives that just weren’t true.” She explains how athletes know what it takes to pursue a sport professionally. Hence, they would never do such a thing, especially to a newbie.

“We’re going out there to compete hard every night… it’s our job, and we’re athletes,” she said, explaining that they were just playing their part. “It wasn’t that we, the WNBA players, are trying to like Bully Caitlin Clark. But it was just the fact that we’re going to go out here, we’re going to hoop,” she added.

And they had to. After all, as the New York Liberty star said, CC was a major part of her team. “It was never about her personally or trying to attack her; it was just about us, you know, going out there,” the hooper clarified during the Kickin It With Dee podcast.

 In fact, she added, “The best sign of respect you could get from an opponent is them coming out there and playing you hard.” But with fans and even Indiana Fever GM Lin Dunn chiming in, saying Clark is a target for hard fouls, the conversation did heat up.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had to step in, and she wasn’t too convinced that Clark was being unfairly singled out. After the game, where the star rookie scored 30 points against the Washington Mystics, Engelbert addressed the issue. 

“Did anyone say she was targeted in that game? No, because everyone’s just looking for the outcome they want,” she said. It’s all about perception, she suggested. Still, the Commissioner is keeping an eye on things. But this topic surely forces multiple big names to voice their opinions, including Huskies coach Geno Auriemma.

Geno Auriemma on Caitlin Clark’s “Targeting” talk

Geno Auriemma did not buy the “just regular physicality” angle. He believes the Fever star is facing a level of aggression beyond typical rookie treatment. He pointed to the incident where Clark got shoulder-checked by Chennedy Carter of the Chicago Sky, calling it “junior high stuff.” 

According to him, this targeting is something he’s never seen, not even with the NBA’s biggest stars back in the day. “Appreciate the fact that now’s the time [for the WNBA]. I get it. It’s long overdue. Why are you blaming that kid? It’s not her fault because you would trade places with her in a minute,” he said. 

While the Huskies coach wasn’t alone, not everyone agreed that Clark was getting rougher treatment than other rookies. Former WNBA star and analyst Rebecca Lobo backed this up, saying that CC was getting serious defensive attention—but nothing excessive aside from the Carter hit.

She pointed out, “Are veterans being physical with her? They are. But I have not seen anything excessive or anything dirty.” Meanwhile, Fever took extra measures to protect her, with coach Christie Sides sending in plays where she thinks her athlete deserved more calls to the league office. 

Breanna Stewart, who’s faced Clark multiple times this season, emphasized that physical play is the WNBA’s norm. “Nobody’s going to give you anything easy,” she said. All in all, the talk around Clark’s ‘targeting’ might just be proof that she’s already made a huge impact, and as Jones said, athletes respect her game.